If you want a career in medicine but do not want to go through eight or more years of college, a career as a physician assistant may be a good fit. This occupation offers high pay, ample interaction with patients, and very good prospects for employment after college.

Education and Licensing

A career as a physician assistant generally requires a master's degree. Typically, candidates for PA positions usually have a bachelor's degree in a health-related field and experience as a nurse, paramedic, or other medical worker. For those with experience and education, a master's program to prepare for a career as a PA usually takes two years to complete. Some physician assistants specialize in a certain field of medicine, which requires additional education. All states require PAs to become licensed by passing an exam offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, and must pass a relicensing exam every six years.

Job Description

As of 2010, over half of PAs were employed in physician's offices, a quarter worked in hospitals and nearly 10 percent were working in outpatient care centers. Physician assistants perform many of the same duties as physicians. They can order and interpret diagnostic testing, provide basic forms of non-surgical treatment and write prescriptions. However, because they are not licensed physicians, they must be supervised by doctors. The extent of physician supervision required for PAs varies from state to state. In some underserved areas, physician assistants may act as independent primary care providers for days on end.

Pay

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physician assistants made an average of $89,470 per year in 2011. While not nearly as much as that earned by physicians, this rate of pay is nearly three times the income of the average American worker. By state, average PA pay ranged from a high of $107,000 in Rhode Island to a low of $54,040 in Mississippi. According to a 2011 salary survey conducted by industry website ADVANCE, PAs in suburban areas tended to earn the most, $95,818, as compared to an average of $94,987 among urban practitioners and $92,353 among rural PAs.

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for physician assistants between 2010 and 2020 is excellent. The number of jobs for PAs is expected to grow by 30 percent, more than twice the average rate of growth expected for all U.S. jobs. Much of this growth is attributed to the need for cost-cutting in health care, because PAs are paid significantly less than most physicians. Job prospects should be best in rural areas.